Suggestions, Please?

[Landailyn]

 I'm working on this bugger, and am to the point where I'm just staring at it. It's to that precarious point where it can start to look really fake and painted, instead of just repaired. I'm working on their skin, making it appear a bit more even, but was wondering if anyone had a suggestion as to how to bring the facial features out a little more, without them seeming to be drawn on?
Thanks!
Janine

[glennab]

Hi Janine

I think you're doing a wonderful job on this bear.  Since I'm an OPR addict, I played with your original on my lunch hour, and I found that by taking the original and duplicating the layer 3 or 4 times, set to multiply, I was able to see more of their features.  Of course, the image is way too dark at that point, but it could be used as a template.  As for the texture, you appear to have that mastered.  As long as you clone or heal very small areas, you should be able to keep the painterly look at bay.  I tried a 5px healing brush set at 0 hardness, and as long as I pulled from areas of similar color, there was a smooth transition that still had texture. I've found that my biggest challenge is keeping the shading in the right places.  That's where the multiplied template can help.  I'm using a template layer of an adjusted original to get the shading for my current restoration.  I have a layer directly below it on which I'm brushing in color at 20% opacity to get some dimension, and it's working quite well. I can adjust the opacity of the layer, and I can erase glitches (and there have been plenty) without affecting the original. I'm not sure this gives you much to go on, but at the very least I wanted to encourage you.  You're off to a great start.

Glenna

[Landailyn]

Thank you, Glenna! Yes, very small areas are the only way to work on these! Very, very small! That's for the multiplied layer as a template suggestion! I'll give it a try!

Janine

[Ausimax]

Hi Janine,

I wish I could help you, I avoided that one because I'm not good at them, the man you need is Kurt Struve, if you check out this link to one of his threads it may be of help. 

http://www.oprworkshop.org/forum/index.php?topic=434.0


Max

[laportelj]

Janine,
what I did here was select only the water damaged streak, then adjusted to match( in hue, saturation and brightness c/contrast) the less damaged  part. Then I adjusted them all together to see what I could gain .This seems to work better for me since it doesn't over or under adjust the two parts . I think you may get a little more info this way sometimes.
Jane